Whatever Works

Woody Allen’s long-awaited return to New York, Whatever Works boasts a plotless atmosphere that’s initially easy enough to overlook thanks primarily to star Larry David’s thoroughly engrossing work as the central character – yet it’s just as clear that the movie does begin to run out of steam somewhere around its midsection (with the inclusion of several downright pointless third-act interludes only exacerbating this feeling). The movie follows grouchy curmudgeon Boris Yellnikoff (David) as he meets (and eventually marries) a sweet Southern girl (Evan Rachel Wood’s Melodie), with the bulk of the proceedings generally detailing the specifics of their oddball union and its effect on their friends and family. There’s little doubt that Whatever Works, at the outset, comes off as one of the more promising Allen comedies in recent memory, as the film features an exceedingly amiable vibe that’s perpetuated by the efforts of the various actors – with David’s surprisingly strong performance at the forefront of a uniformly stellar cast (which includes Michael McKean, Patricia Clarkson, and Ed Begley, Jr). Though essentially playing a mean-spirited riff on his Curb Your Enthusiasm persona, David effectively transforms Boris into a figure worthy of the viewer’s sympathy – which is, given his relentlessly misanthropic actions and behavior, is certainly no small feat. It’s consequently not surprising to note that the movie demonstrably suffers whenever Boris is off screen, with the increased emphasis on supporting characters in the film’s second half ensuring that one’s interest slowly but surely dwindles. The inclusion of several head-scratchingly needless interludes (eg Begley, Jr’s tedious encounter with a gay man at a bar) within its home stretch cements Whatever Works‘ place as a sporadically watchable yet hopelessly uneven piece of work, and, given the strength of such recent endeavors as Cassandra’s Dream and Vicky Cristina Barcelona, it would appear that Allen is better off working overseas.

** out of ****